The invention relates to a gas generator for an occupant protection system of a vehicle.
Gas generators for occupant protection systems in vehicles are used to fill gas sacks with gas and to inflate them for protecting occupants in the event of an accident. Depending on the region of use of the gas sack, it is desirable for the gas pressure in the gas sack to be maintained over a relatively long period of time, in particular over a number of seconds. This is necessary in particular in the case of gas sacks used for side protection, since an overturning of a vehicle generally lasts for a certain period of time within which the gas sack is to be filled in order to protect the impact of the occupants. Such a long useful life can be achieved with a cold gas generator, in which a cold compressed gas is used as the filling gas. By contrast, the hot gases generated by a pyrotechnic gas generator would lead, due to their rapid cooling, to a similarly rapid drop in pressure within the gas sack.
Cold gas generators generally have a compressed gas store in which the stored compressed gas is stored under high pressure. In order to open the compressed gas store, use is generally made of a pyrotechnic solid explosive charge which can supply a contribution at the same time for filling the gas sack. This then involves what are referred to as hybrid gas generators.
A secure closure of the compressed gas store even in the case of high outside temperatures and a rapid and reliable opening of the compressed gas store in the event of being triggered is essential for the reliable use of these gas generators.
A hybrid gas generator of this type is disclosed, for example, in DE 199 51 672 A1 (hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety). A compressed gas store is closed here in a gas-tight manner by a bursting disk. The bursting disk is supported counter to the internal pressure of a container on a supporting device which can be partially destroyed and/or moved by the pressure arising during the combustion of a pyrotechnic solid explosive charge.